I'm not one to use the term "tipping point" lightly, because one can only say you've hit it so many times before losing one's credibility, but I do think we've hit the tipping point on marijuana legalization -- for three reasons.

Why are some drugs legal and others illegal? Who are the people who make up the drug policy reform movement? What can be done about the violence in Mexico from the drug trade? How should society deal with heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs?

No mother should have to face what I've had to -- the death of a promising and cherished son. We need to hold drug courts accountable to protect everyone who needs them. No one should face punishment for seeking lifesaving treatment.

This report is the first time that any multilateral institution anywhere in the world has critically analyzed the war on drugs and considered new approaches for the future -- giving equal weight to options like decriminalization and legalization in the process.

Today we are releasing a science-driven plan for drug policy reform in America to build upon this progress. This 21st century drug policy outlines a series of evidence-based reforms that treat our nation's drug problem as a public health issue, not just a criminal justice issue.

It is clear that we cannot simply arrest our way out of the drug problem. Instead, we need smarter, results-based criminal justice policies to keep our communities safe, including treatment for people with substance use disorders and mental health issues.

If the conversation at your Thanksgiving dinner gets boring, you should feel comfortable bringing up marijuana legalization. It's been all over the news since Election Day and public opinion about marijuana legalization is changing rapidly.

This year, exactly three decades after both Democrats and Republicans first focused on creating the office that today leads drug policy efforts, both parties should co-lead today's drug challenges based on what we know can work.

This year the Obama Administration allocated more money for drug prevention and treatment programs -- $10.1 billion -- than for U.S. law enforcement and incarceration. This Administration understands substance dependence is a public health issue, not just a law enforcement issue.